james r.c. smith Archives

Learning to Ski on Cypress Mountain

December 30, 2019

I’ve always wanted to properly learn how to ski. The closest I ever got was going on a school trip to Austria but the slopes were icy, I was completely out of shape, and the bigger kids found it super funny to knock me over every chance they got. Skip 20 years (wow) and I’ve finally found time to pick up where I left off, surrounded by a much more pleasant group. I joined a Discovery camp at Cypress Mountain, British Columbia, a scenic 25 minute drive from my home in North ...

Dad-ing

My Daughter Doesn’t Owe You a Hug

November 22, 2019

Ah, Christmas time, the season for the friends-of-family, neighbours, and that aunt who isn’t your real aunt, but a friend of your parents, you think. They all want to pop round after you guiltily include them in your festive gathering. It’s a time for being kind, relaxing (unless ...

5 Dads Go Wild, sponsored

5 Dads Go Wild – What You Didn’t See on Instagram

October 6, 2019

It’s all over for another year and I’m probably not the only one of the group that is pretty gutted. We’ve been talking daily about the logistics for the trip. What to pack, what we’re going to eat, what we think the weather was going to be, and who was most likely to be ...

Cars and Trucks, sponsored

Dad Test Drive: 2019 Ford Edge Titanium

July 5, 2019

An SUV with a firm grasp on performance, the Ford Edge has been carving out its own niche between the nippy Escape and the sturdy Explorer. I’ve been wanted to try the new Edge for a while, especially as a viable family car and replacement for my Ford Focus. As a Dad, my main criteria are ...

Dad-ing, sponsored

A Dad’s Guide to Tidying and Home Safety

June 24, 2019

One of the first things I discovered when I became a parent is that kids are curious about everything. Toys, cat food, my nose, and things that I thought I’d put safely away but hadn’t, like laundry detergent. I thought it might be useful if I shared a few very quick and simple tips that I’ve ...

Dad-ing

Navigating a Toddler’s Fears

May 1, 2019

My daughter is at the age where monsters under the bed are becoming very real. Her capacity for imagination is developing and it’s all very new and worrying to her. Somewhere around two to three years old, children learn to be anxious and afraid of things, even if it’s entirely ...

Dad-ing

2019 Canadian Dad Bloggers Awards

April 17, 2019

Us Dad bloggers don’t often get the same footing as the Mums out there, especially when it comes to the topic of parenting. Nowadays, the share of raising our little ones is 50-50 and we’re loving every minute. Generally speaking, although it’d be cool if there were a few less ...

Brand Love, Cars and Trucks

2019 Honda Pilot Touring – Test Drive and Review

April 16, 2019

I love that I get to try new cars and I’m always looking for a suitable replacement for our modest family car, a 2015 Ford Focus. The 2019 Honda Pilot Touring was admittedly not on my list of eye-catching family-sized SUVs. From the outside, it seems solid, attractive enough, but not ...

Dad-ing

Monster Trucks and Hair Cuts

March 10, 2019

I need a haircut. My greys are showing and it keeps curling in weird directions. Every time I get used to a new barber, they move, quit, or just plain disappear. Do they know how hard it is to find the right person with the exact right balance of knowing exactly how to cut my hair, to keep the ...